She Hates The Morning
by Devil's Lament
Summary: KakashiXOC. A oneshot gift fic for a friend. Kakashi's longtime girlfriend has gone missing and he's getting rather antsy waiting for her return. Contains some smut at the end, so consider yourself warned.


Hello, all! This is my first time posting on though I have written many, many fanfics in my time. This one was a gift for a dear friend, based off of another fanfiction that was created by her, though it has yet to be published.

Takes place fairly early in the series, I suppose, though it's slightly strayed from the story's timeline and events. Nanashi and Mariko are original characters, but the rest is all Naruto.

Warnings: This oneshot contains a lemon toward the end, and a fairly explicit one, at that. I don't reply to flames, so if you don't like it, then you better quit while you're ahead.

* * *

**She Hates The Morning**

The weather was getting progressively darker and mistier over the last three days in the Hidden Leaf Village. Downpour was expected, but still hadn't come, keeping all of the villagers on their toes. It had been a relatively dry summer, and a little rain was more then welcome to the town, by everyone except one man, apparently.

Hatake Kakashi's gaze wandered off toward the gates of Konoha for the ninth time in the last thirty minutes, only to produce a frustrated sigh from his masked lips. He couldn't quite see the gates from where he sat leaning against a tree, but he couldn't seem to stop himself from letting his only exposed eye wander in that direction every few minutes. He'd been trying to read the latest publication of his favorite magazine series, but the attempts became futile as his mind kept drifting off exactly where he didn't want it to. _It's been three days now._

His expression darkened under his mask at the thought. _Stop it, Hatake._

His sighed in frustration once again and scowled at the open book in his lap, determined to finish the damned paragraph he'd started when he'd arrived to the training meet half an hour ago.

_Training meet?_

His dark eye shot up before him, not quite registering that his three students were evidently no longer practicing whatever he'd had them working on. Wait... what _had_ he had them working on?

He blinked, seeing that Sakura stood with her arms akimbo, her eyes wide and fixed on him, her brow furrowed. Sasuke had his eyes on him, as well, though his expression was his usual display of underplayed exasperation. Kakashi was momentarily stunned when he saw Naruto, who had somehow managed to sit on the ground across from him, not a foot away, without being noticed, his blue eyes sparkling with mischief as he stared intently at his Jounin instructor.

Kakashi abruptly stood and cleared his throat. "Ah..."

"Is everything alright, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked, her face softening with concern at Kakashi's obvious discomfort.

_No_, his mind answered immediately, and Kakashi shook himself.

"Yes, sorry," he said quietly. "Look, why don't you three just... go home for the day?"

All three of his students gawked at him for several moments, before Sasuke shrugged. "Alright."

He shoved his hands in his pockets and shuffled off, Sakura trailing after him a moment later. Naruto stood, glanced up at the tall Jounin, and sighed.

"Problems with Nanashi?" he guessed.

Kakashi groaned inwardly. Great. Now he had to talk about it, and that meant acknowledging worry that he wasn't prepared to fully acknowledge.

"Not that it's any of your business," he began, "but... no. Well, I don't know."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

Kakashi sighed again. "I... she... I haven't seen her in three days."

Naruto's brilliant blue eyes widened. "What the hell did you do, Kakashi-sensei?"

"I didn't do anything!" Kakashi defended. "She left on some personal errand for the Hokage and was supposed to be back the same night..."

His eye automatically drifted back, through the thickening mist, toward the direction of the gate as he trailed off, the worry becoming evident on his face, even despite the mask.

Naruto grimaced, instantly feeling guilty. "Ah... sorry... I didn't mean..." He paused with a thoughtful look. "Hey! Why don't you go talk to Mariko at the ramen stand? She and Nanashi are good friends, right? Maybe she knows something!"

Truthfully, the idea had occurred to Kakashi already, but he knew it wouldn't make a difference. Why would she have any more information than he, her boyfriend of two years? Surely, he would be notified first of any news, especially if she were harmed or-- _Nope. Just stop there, Kakashi._

Well, perhaps talking to Mariko wouldn't be so bad. She'd probably smile and tell him not to worry, saying something like, 'Oh, you know Nanashi...'

Problem was, he _did_ know Nanashi, and this wasn't like her at all. Still, though, he was willing to accept any peace of mind he could get. He'd have to pay a visit to the ramen stand Mariko worked at when he got out of here, which hopefully would still be open in spite of the weather.

Suddenly he realized that Naruto was still awaiting a response, and he shook himself, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Yes, I'll do that. Go on, now. I'll see you tomorrow."

With that, Naruto gave a small smile, relieved that he'd offered his instructor a sound suggestion, and he scampered off after the distant figures of Sasuke and Sakura.

Giving one last glance through the haze, toward the direction of the gates, hoping for any small sign of his elusive girlfriend, he released a long breath through tight lips and headed toward town.

* * *

The ramen stand was surprisingly slow when he approached the block where it stood, then he remembered that he'd let class end early, and therefore must have been before the dinner rush. He scoured the small bar, immediately spotting Iruka sitting in the far corner, sipping on a cup of tea, and occasionally murmuring quiet words to a dark haired girl behind the counter. Mariko, he recognized.

He took a seat next to Iruka, immediately gaining the attention of the couple.

"Kakashi-sensei," Iruka greeted with a solemn of nod of his head, his eyes shifting from the Jounin to his ebony haired girlfriend.

"Kakashi-san," Mariko gasped, her grey eyes as weary as Kakashi felt on the inside. "Have you... heard from Nanashi?"

Kakashi swallowed hard, somewhat disheartened that she obviously hadn't heard from Nanashi, either, even though he knew that she wouldn't have. The pale, distressed look on Mariko's face did nothing to soothe his worry on top of everything. She was just as distraught as he.

"No," he finally answered, his gaze settling on the counter. "I was coming to see if you had."

Iruka cleared his throat and placed a hand over Mariko's when she leaned on the counter, his eyes still darting between the two of them.

"I'm... I'm sure she's alright," he offered. "There could be a million reasons why she's been delayed, maybe something to do with the weather. Delays happen... all the time. You know this, Kakashi."

"Not to her," Kakashi muttered. "She's always made good time, and she always signals when she can't be back on time."

Iruka sighed. He knew this, of course. He couldn't stand seeing both his girlfriend and his close friend fret needlessly, though, before they even knew for sure that something was wrong. He had to do something.

"Mariko-chan, why don't you go see if you can get the rest of the day off?" he suggested, giving her hand an affectionate squeeze. "The weather's not looking too good for business, anyway. And Kakashi, why don't you go and get some sleep? You could use it."

Kakashi agreed wholeheartedly that sleep would be wonderful, but he knew he wouldn't get any, as he hadn't since the first night Nanashi hadn't come home.

"I'm going to talk to the Hokage first thing in the morning," Iruka continued gently, as Mariko skulked away in search of her boss . "Maybe we can see about sending a small search party..."

Kakashi's shoulders slumped dramatically at the words. The thought that they could find her injured or ... or worse was too much. If anyone should search for her, he knew it was him. He made to stand up and head right for the gates. "I'll go. I... I have to find her."

Iruka frowned and reached out to grasp Kakashi's shoulder before he got too far. "Not right now, you don't. You need to rest. You won't be any good to her if you're drowsy and delirious, and I'd rather you go with a group, perhaps with a medic. If Nanashi is hurt—"

"Okay," Kakashi cut him off through clenched teeth, his fists involuntarily clenching at his sides. "First thing in the morning."

"Good," Iruka said. "Now go get some sleep. You look like hell."

Kakashi nodded once and began the walk to his house through the heavy mist, his mind reeling. _You'd better be okay, Nanashi, or I swear you'll regret it!_

* * *

Her head was pounding and her eyes felt like sandpaper as she forced them open. Nanashi blinked groggily several times, a cascade of fiery red hair obscuring her view, preventing her from having any idea of where she was. When she tried to move, she realized that she was lying face down on the ground, and the air was damp and chilly. Her muscles ached, and there was a sharp pain throbbing in her ribs.

With a groan, she forced her arm to move and yanked her hair away from her face, her dark eyes narrowing as she focused on her surroundings. It was sunset, or at least, she was pretty sure it was. She was outside, laying on the cold ground in the middle of a bamboo thicket, a blanket of fog considerably limiting her range of vision. She glanced around for several moments, seeing that it was, in fact, becoming darker, confirming her assumption that it was almost nightfall.

How long have I been out?

As soon as the question formed itself in her mind, a barrage of memories came flooding in, reminding her of just why she was lying on the ground, sore and only half-conscious.

Bandits, her mind groaned.

She had been on her way back to Konoha, pleased that she was making better time than she'd anticipated, moving as quickly as she could through the bamboo forest, merely a few miles from the gates of the village. She'd wanted nothing more than to soak in a warm bath and curl up in bed next to Kakashi after such a long trek.

By the time she'd seen the group of four men coming toward her, it was too late to evade them and avoid notice, as their eyes were boring into hers, malicious grins creeping across their faces.

Having been caught somewhat off guard, her body reacted instinctively, and she'd taken a defensive stance, kunai in hand, gathering as much chakra as she could muster for the pending battle.

She'd taken several hits to the face and torso, a swift kick to her ribs, and a hyper-extended elbow, but within minutes, all four of her opponents were starting to regret picking on the young redhead. Before any of them knew what was happening, she was delivering a death-dealing blow to the group, fueled with enough chakra to take down a herd of elephants.

Problem was, once they were down, it wasn't long before Nanashi passed clean out on the ground, just yards away from the fallen men, weak from overuse of her chakra, and her body wracked with pain.

Shaking herself from her reverie, she closed her eyes and turned onto her back, sucking in a breath at the pain that shot through her. There was no telling how long she'd been out. For all she knew, it could have been a week. Her eyes flew open.

Kakashi...

She placed a hand over her aching ribs, feeling for any signs of a fracture. When she found nothing that stood out, she concluded that they were probably just bruised, and could make it back to the village without any medical aid.

She took several deep breaths, preparing herself for the inevitable pain that would come when she forced herself to get up and finish the trek home. Clenching her teeth, she sat up, stifling a scream with merely a grunt, and slowly pushed herself to her feet.

The sun had just about sunken completely, and Nanashi set out on her journey, cursing with every painful step, determined to make it back to the gates of Konoha before sunrise.

* * *

Kakashi lie in bed in a pair of loose-fitting black cotton pants, his unmasked eyes watching as distant lights from the village and the hazy moonlight cut through the darkness in the room, making various fluid-like shadows across the ceiling from the waving trees outside.

Somewhere in the small house, a clock ticked away the seconds, reminding him that Nanashi had been gone longer and longer with each tick. He contemplated putting a pillow over his head to drown out the sound, but he knew he would just become uncomfortable and tear the pillow back off after a couple of minutes.

He'd tried to read for a while, but again, he found he couldn't focus long enough to read more than a couple of lines before getting frustrated. He'd been lying in this position for hours, he was sure, though he really had no way of knowing what time it was, as he refused to look at the clock that was surely mocking him with its incessant ticking.

He let out a groan and covered his unmasked face with his hands, rubbing at his sleep-deprived eyes, trying to will himself to become tired and get some much needed sleep. When he pulled his hands away, he watched as another shadow drifted across the ceiling, this time different in shape than the ones he'd been seeing all night.

Sighing, he closed his eyes, determined to make himself sleep, as he was obviously becoming utterly delirious. Tomorrow would be a long day, no doubt.

He began to think through his plan to search for Nanashi, but the thoughts were cut short when he heard a noise outside the house. Footsteps?

He became still, barely breathing, waiting to hear it again. After a moment, he heard the sound of shuffling feet, realizing that the sound was at his front door, and he instantly leapt out of bed the grace of a panther. A split second later, there was an abrupt rapping on the door.

Nanashi? No, she would have used her key.

He crept out of the bedroom, silently, grabbing his kunai along the way, and continued toward the front door, listening carefully as he approached. He was about to look through the small peephole in the door when he heard someone muttering aggravated curses from outside.

It was the sweetest sound Kakashi had ever heard. He recognized the voice instantly and quickly unlocked the door, ripping it open to the sight of a wet, disheveled redhead peering back at him with large, black orbs.

"Nanashi," he breathed, relief washing over him as he pulled her inside and into his arms.

She yelped in pain, and he immediately pushed her back to arms length, his hands on her shoulders. He looked her over, taking in her appearance, and the way she held her side. His brow furrowed instantly, his eyes becoming wide. "You're hurt. What happened?"

"I'll be okay," she whispered, too worn out to speak any louder at the moment. "I just... ran into some trouble on the way home. I... I think I lost my key, too."

"Trouble?" he asked, moving to close the front door that had been left open behind her. "What kind of trouble? Are you alright?"

She sighed and forced her legs to move again before the inevitable stiffness set in, and limped her way to the bedroom, Kakashi on her heels, a panicked expression on his face.

"Did you walk all the way home like this?" he demanded, as she carefully set herself down on the edge of the bed.

"No," she replied tiredly. "Only the last six miles or so."

She watched as his eyes flickered with horror, and she held up a trembling hand to silence him before he could speak.

"Just get me a drink, will you?" she asked.

He stared at her skeptically, but figuring that she wouldn't talk until he did, he shrugged and retrieved a bottle of plum sake and a glass from the kitchen, not bothering to turn on any lights.

When he returned, he knelt before her, trying to keep the worry from his eyes as he looked over his battered girlfriend once more, and he suddenly wished he still had his mask on. He poured a glass and handed it to her, taking his own hearty pull from the bottle as he did so.

Nanashi gratefully took the glass from him and swallowed the sweet liquid down quickly, reveling in the warmth that spread through her chilled body. She closed her eyes and waited for the trembling to stop.

"Nanashi?" Kakashi spoke softly, reaching up to caress the side of her face.

She opened her onyx eyes and gazed into his mismatched ones that gleamed in the dark. "I'm alright. I... I ran into some thugs in the forest. Four men. I—"

"They did this to you?" he cut in, his face carefully devoid of emotion as he placed the bottle onto the floor. "Did they... do anything else?"

She blinked, then understood, and cocked an eyebrow at him. "Please, Kakashi. You really have such little faith in my abilities?"

Kakashi gave an exasperated sigh. "I know you can defend yourself. I was just... worried. Give a guy a break, huh?"

"Well, I made it through that alright, but I used too much chakra. I passed out."

Kakashi nodded solemnly. Now he understood why she had taken so long to return. He knew he'd been out for days at a time after excessive chakra use.

"You have to be careful of that," he whispered.

Nanashi's eyes suddenly widened a bit. "How long have I been gone, anyway?"

"Three days," he mumbled, following her gaze as she looked down at herself.

She gave a humorless chuckle, wincing in pain as she touched her side. "Well, the good news is I doubt my ribs are broken, in that case, or I'd be in a lot more pain. Or dead."

Kakashi shot her a hard look that told her he clearly wasn't amused, then looked back down to where she held her ribs.

"Lie down," he commanded.

"I'm fine, Kakashi—"

"Lie down." His tone left no room for dispute.

She released a breath and set her glass on the small table next to the bed, then gently twisted herself fully onto the mattress and reclined.

Kakashi shuffled himself forward on his knees and reached for the hem of her tattered black shirt. He raised it up slowly, just before it reached her breasts, giving him access to her midriff.

She stared down at him with a quizzical expression. "Don't you need light, or can you see in the dark, now?"

"Quiet," he said, his face set in concentration. "I'm just going to feel."

Too tired to think of any quip, she relaxed against the pillow, watching as he rubbed his hands together and breathed on them, trying to warm them as much as possible. Very gently, he placed his fingers on her ribs, eliciting a gasp from her, both from the chill that still lingered on him, and with the slight pain that followed.

Kakashi's eyes darted up to hers for a moment, then returned to his task. He skillfully pushed and prodded as softly as he could, feeling for any sign of fracture. She fought off the urge to groan in pain when his touch got a little firmer, and fixed her gaze to the ceiling, trying to think of other things.

A few minutes passed that felt like hours, and his touch lightened.

"Nothing is broken," he confirmed, softly. "It'll just hurt like hell for a few days."

"Well, I could have told you that," she whispered back, her eyes finally falling back down to meet his.

His expression was soft, his fingers now gently brushing over the skin of her abdomen. "Don't scare me like that again."

"If I can avoid it, I will."

"You'd better. There will be great consequences, otherwise." His fingers found the waist of her pants and he realized just how damp and cold her clothing was.

"Oh?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "What sort of consequences are we talking here?"

Kakashi smirked, his fingertips curling around the waist of the pants. "Well, do you remember that picture I showed you on page forty-two of the last issue?"

A breath escaped her lips as the tension went from sweet and concerned to sensual, and despite her exhaustion, she welcomed it. "I remember..."

"You're wet."

Nanashi's breath caught in her throat. "W--... ah..."

"These clothes are damp, you'll catch a cold," he said, matter-of-factly. He bit the inside of his lip to keep from laughing at her flustered appearance.

When she didn't reply with anything more than a twitch of her jaw, he began to lower his hand, still hooked in her pants, and he began to slide them slowly down, over her hips.

She raised them as much as she could without pain, allowing him to pull them from her. When that was done, he stood over her, bending down to grasp the hem of her already raised shirt. He snaked one hand around her back and lifted her gently, enough to pull the shirt over her head.

She shivered at the cold air that hit her and she covered herself with her arms. Kakashi gave her a small smile and threw the wet clothes in a basket near the closet door. He then grabbed the blanket that was sloppily strewn over the side of the bed from when he'd thrown it off earlier. He placed it over her, then climbed under it beside her, taking her shivering form into his arms, his lips close to her ear.

"Would more sake help?" he whispered.

Still thinking on his comment moments before, she coyly shook her head. "No."

"No? Well... hm... another blanket?"

"No."

"I could get Pakkun to come and sleep with us..."

"God, no."

He chuckled. "Well, what then, hm?"

She turned her face to his, her lips just touching his. "You'll do."

"Will I?" he mumbled, his lips claiming hers.

She moaned in response, the sound sending a shiver down his own body. He reacted passionately, his tongue prodding her lips further apart. She complied, her own tongue sliding against his as he gently invaded her mouth.

He lifted himself above her, holding his weight on his arms, his mouth never breaking contact with hers as he nudged her legs apart and rested on his knees between them. Her hands glided up his back and wove their way through his silky silver hair, feeling a tingle when he moaned against her lips.

He broke away roughly, his mouth seizing the tender skin of her neck. Her thighs tensed and squeezed his lean hips. Realizing where this was quickly heading, he lifted his head and looked at her flushed face.

"Are you sure...?" he breathed. "You're hurt."

Her eyes bore into his, begging. "Please..."

Her simple plea dissolved what fight he had in him to avoid risking her pain, and he internally repeated to himself over and over to be careful with her as he resumed his gentle assault on her neck. He was glad she'd asked him to continue. He needed it as much as she did, and probably for the same reason. They had both been terrified and needed this simple reaffirmation that they were safe, alive, and together.

Her eyes fluttered closed and she arched her head back, reveling in the sensation of his lips and tongue and teeth on her neck and down to her collarbone.

He shifted his weight down to one elbow, letting his other hand feel its way up to the strap of the damp black bra she still wore, and hastily pulled it down her shoulder and below one breast, his mouth instantly claiming the taut nipple. She hissed in pleasure, her hips reflexively grinding against his.

Kakashi groaned, then used his free hand and urgently removed her remaining garments, his mouth rising back up to kiss her again. Nanashi kissed back with abandon, her hands finding their way into the waistband of his low-slung pants and lightly scratched at his hips. He shivered above her, and helped her remove every last stitch of fabric that separated them, impatience getting the better of him.

When there was no longer anything obstructing his way, he placed a hand on her thigh, nudging her legs further apart. Her body trembled, and she couldn't decide if it was the chill or the anticipation that was causing it. Probably the latter, she surmised.

His slender fingers drifted upon her, from the inside of her knee, up the soft skin of her thigh, stopping just before he reached her center, breaking away from the kiss so that he could watch her face. Slowly, he began to push against her entrance with his long middle finger, loving the way her face contorted in pleasure.

She gasped when his finger pushed into her, taking his time, and she felt his thumb brush lightly against her clit. Her hips bucked, sending a jolt of intermingling pain and ecstasy through her, and she grasped his shoulders, fingernails dug into his pale flesh.

Satisfied that she was ready, he gently withdrew his finger, letting it graze her swollen clit as he did so, to which her fingernails bit into him once more, and he smirked at the reaction.

He shifted again, positioning himself above her, and looked down into her onyx eyes, those eyes he adored, seeking approval just once more before he continued. Her lips parted, and she gave him a ghost of a smile, her fingers easing from their grip, only to begin tracing the pattern of the ANBU tattoo on his left shoulder.

Unable to hesitate any longer, he lowered himself slowly, stopping just as he reached her entrance. Nanashi sucked in a breath when she felt the tip of his cock at her slick opening, and she closed her eyes again.

He applied gentle pressure and she whimpered. He withdrew slightly and lowered his face down, pressing his soft lips to hers, and began to push against her again, allowing himself to ease in a tiny bit further as he did. Her whimper became a moan as he pulled back again, the sound alone making him harder.

Fighting to maintain control, he slid back in with excruciating slowness, gritting his teeth at the sensation of the tight warmth that constricted around him as she eagerly took him in. When he had planted himself deep within her, he let himself rest on his elbows on either side of her head, nuzzling his face into her fiery hair, his lips grazing her ear.

"I love you," he breathed.

She ran her hands down his back, and smiled. "I know."

Chuckling soflty, he kissed her neck and gently began to withdraw, then pushed back in, finding a slow pace, so as not to lose control too quickly.

Nanashi moaned again, her hands grasping his hips, encouraging his thrusts. "Oh, God..."

He maintained that pace for several minutes, then began to pull out completely before driving back into her, producing moans from both of them as he continued his slow, but progressively more forceful ministrations.

He entwined his fingers into her hair, his mouth frantically exploring every inch of skin within reach. He knew neither of them would last much longer at this rate, but as he felt her becoming wetter, he knew that they were both past the point of caring.

Her fingers dug into the skin of his lean body, her body tensing beneath him as she felt her orgasm approaching. "Kakashi..."

Kakashi could feel her clamping around him, driving him to quicken his pace, his own end drawing closer. His grasp on her hair tightened and he tugged at it, gently. "Come for me."

Nanashi's eyes opened wide and she thrust her hips up to meet his, no longer caring about the pain it evoked. His hips slammed against hers, causing a satisfying slapping sound of flesh on flesh, further inching them both closer to the brink of ecstasy.

Kakashi grunted and gritted his teeth again, determined satisfy her before he lost control. "Nanashi... I'm going to..."

His uttered words sent her over the edge, and she cried out at the strength of it.

When Kakashi felt her contracting around him, his head reared back and his breath caugh in his throat as he came hard into her.

Nanashi moaned, still reeling in pleasure as she felt his cock pulsating inside of her, prolonging her own orgasm. Her arms came up around him, holding his firm body against hers.

Exhausted, Kakashi collapsed onto her, once again burying his face in her neck.

"I love you, too," Nanashi panted.

Kakashi managed to raise his head and give her a lazy smile, still not withdrawing from her. "After that, how could you not?"

She rolled her eyes and shifted beneath him, sending another racking jolt of pain through her. "Aahhh..."

Suddenly remembering her condition, Kakashi threw himself off of her in a panic and onto his side next to her. "Oh, God... I'm sorry. Are you alright?"

The pain subsided, and she nodded slowly. "Yeah. Come back here."

Carefully, he inched closer once more and took her into his arms, cradling her head on his shoulder. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yes," she sighed, "I just want to stay like this. Can we?"

Kakashi chuckled. "Well, of course. Until the morning, that is."

She groaned. "I hate the morning. Just for that reason. They're a pain in the ass."

Kakashi was inclined to agree, but he said nothing, just tightening his hold on her. He kissed her head, and closed his eyes.

"Just sleep, love," he mumbled. "After the morning, there will be afternoon, then evening, and then we get to do this again."

"Yeah," she sighed again, her eyes closing, "We have to review page forty-two."

Kakashi smiled, although she couldn't see it, swearing to himself that she was never leaving his sight ever again. Nor his bed, for that matter.


End file.
